Chapter 283: Ambush
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
Jade City has never felt such deep hysteria ever since the era of the diverse warfare in the Western Regions which had occurred decades ago. But even that had not impacted Jade City as much as this.
The Black Blood Flags were fluttering all around, like a scary prophecy which was gradually revealing all of its contents to the people. Everyone felt pressured by it.
This time, the Golden Roc Fort responded quickly. Even the killers who rarely made public appearances were fully geared. They were frantically hurrying all throughout the streets in broad daylight.
In some people's eyes, the Golden Roc killers could assure their safety. For others, they were a source of disaster. Some people even begged the killers not to remove their family's Black Blood Flag. "What if the Dragon King seeks revenge after you take it? I have families..."
Their begging was useless and, in less than an hour, all the Black Blood Flag in the city were taken down. Not one remained. They even captured a dozen flag-bearers who were all dead. These people seemed to be possessed by demons. Once they were surrounded, they would rather commit suicide by swallowing poison than be captured.
The killers could only carry a string of heads through the streets, hoping that the residents could rest assured.
No one could feel relaxed. The Dragon King was still missing, and there seemed to be no end to the killings.
Jade City had numerous thrilling days. The machetemen of all parties were arresting people everywhere, including those who looked like flag-bearing spies working for the Dragon King. Several open fights happened. Even the Golden Roc killers were often besieged. Everyone must publicly prove that they were not the Dragon King in disguise.
At the same time, the "Dragon King" was still committing crimes. The targets of murder were gradually expanding: First, they were the killers and machetemen, then the merchants in South City, and finally the rich people in the North City. The Black Blood Flags were like weeds in the spring. Cutting and burning it were both useless.
In just ten days, more than 50 people had died in Jade City. Although the number was not big, it spread a city-wide panic. Hundreds and thousands of people fled outside the city with their valuables, and even frantically escaped to the southern countries.
Hence, upon hearing that a messenger from the Great Snowmountain wanted to come to Jade City, most of the people were angry at first, but then they sighed in relief.
"Hurry up and end this." Even the machetemen said this in private.
Fang Wenshi had achieved great success in persuading the governor of the Central Plains who was stationed in the Western Regions. He headed toward Jade City with a special emissary of the Central Plains.
While on the road, he heard the news about the situation in Jade City, which was continuously coming. He was very confused and a little dissatisfied. The Dragon King had gone too far. The terrified atmosphere had a subtle limit. Within the limit, he could force the other side to sit down and negotiate for peace. Outside the limit, the Great Snowmountain would become the public enemy of the Western Region.
As the news increased, he was even more confused. The Dragon King had erected hundreds of Black Blood Flags at the same time? The Dragon King was not a god. Even if he joined forces with Chu Nanping, the two did not have the skills to pull off such a feat. The flag-bearers committed suicide when they were caught? If this was not just a rumor, then it did not sound like the Dragon King's style.
Fang Wenshi was convinced to assure the special emissary from the Central Plains that the incident in Jade City was not done by the Dragon King. "Someone is sabotaging the peace talks. There must be a conspiracy in all this."
This was both his opinion and his hope. He did not know enough about the Dragon King. That young man has a deep hatred in his heart and he could cause all sorts of problems at any time.
When they were still a day's journey away from Jade City, Chu Nanping came to the camp at night to see him. His words reassured the military counselor. "Someone is framing the Dragon King. He is currently looking for the mastermind behind the scenes."
Fang Wenshi immediately took Chu Nanping to meet with the special emissary from the Central Plains. He made every effort to convince the other party to believe that someone in Jade City was posing as the Dragon King.
The special emissary from the Central Plains believed in the Dragon King's good faith. However, it was still difficult to hold peace talks when there were a series of assassinations going on.
A group of people entered the North City, and they first met with the Norland Governor. Mo Chu was still angry, and he almost ordered people to drag the Great Snowmountain's messenger to cut off his head and show it to the public. After he saw the face of the special emissary from the Central Plains, he decided to let him go. Then he harshly said, "Either the Dragon King pay for his sins with death, or capture the so-called 'impersonator', otherwise the Norlands will never negotiate."
The next day they went to the Four Truths Temple. The monks were very polite and supported the peace talks, but their opinions were similar to those of the Governor. "The Dragon King killed Master Lianhua, and this sin has triggered the wrath of the heavens and the people of the Western Regions. Our temple demands an explanation from the Dragon King. If there really is an impersonator, the Dragon King must come out to explain."
Next were the Meng family in the North City. The patriarch Meng Yuzun personally met with the two messenger. He held onto his big belly and said, "Someone told me that my fourth child was killed by the Dragon King, but that was a few years ago though. The Meng family was incompetent, we couldn't' find the evidence, so I won't pursue this matter any further. However, I am unwilling to help him. As for the peace talks, I won't object to nor support it."
Fang Wenshi immediately realized that the Meng family's attitude was no different from objection.
On the fourth day, Golden Roc Fort sent people down the mountain and respectfully said to the special emissary from the Central Plains, "When all of the Great Snowmountain swordsmen in the western borders have gone and Jade City's assassins' heads have all fallen, the Lord will talk with the Dragon King."
There was a reason for the Golden Roc Fort to refuse to negotiate at this time.
There were more and more people killed by the "Dragon King". There were also many flag-bearers who were captured by the Golden Roc killers. Although these people committed suicide as soon as they were arrested, there were still some people being captured alive. Some had no time to swallow their poisons so they became prisoners.
It was said that the Golden Roc Fort wasted no time in interrogating these captives, and they believed soon they would find the Dragon King's hideout in Jade City.
The situation in front of Fang Wenshi was like this: He had managed to win the support of the Central Plains, but the results were ruined by the fake Dragon King's violent acts.
The Central Plains had a strong influence in the Western Regions, but it could not go against all the forces. Thus the Special Envoy went to talk with many parties to listen to their demands.
Finally, he announced the only option to the Great Snowmountain's messenger. "The Dragon King said that someone has been impersonating him. I believe him, but you better bring out the impostors now. At least point out who these people are. I think there must be a time limit for this, let's say, ten days."
The special emissary from the Central Plains had equivalently given the final ultimatum. Fang Wenshi anxiously urged Chu Nanping to find the Dragon King and tell him about the urgency of the matter. However, the young swordsman was in no hurry at all. "I don't know where the Dragon King is, he told me to protect you during these days and he didn't tell me where he would be hiding."
Fang Wenshi naturally hoped to be protected. Jade City was in deep resentment against the Dragon King. It was inevitable for it to affect the Great Snowmountain's messenger. However, what he worried about the most was not his own safety, but the Dragon King's course. The time is limited. The special emissary from the Central Plains was to leave in ten days. After that, the conquest that the Dragon King had just initiated would be gone in flames.
No one could find the Dragon King, because Gu Shenwei was hiding in a place that he himself could not even imagine.
He did not go to Xiao Fengchai again. She was a businesswoman; she only did business with the strong. If the Dragon King became a street rat and lost his value, she would not hesitate to sell him out.
Every location you could think of was filled with dangers: Joy Pavilion, the Four Truths Temple, and North City.
The female archer came to the Dragon King's aid in time again.
At the time, Gu Shenwei was chasing two of Boss Mo's followers.
Boss Mo, Lianhua and Lianye swindled money out of the new machetemen. When the Dragon King was about to find him, he fell to the ground and died like the flag-bearers who committed suicide.
Of course, this could not be a coincidence. Gu Shenwei believed that, by following this man, he will surely find the mastermind behind the scenes who impersonated the Dragon King and killed the Saint.
Although Boss Mo had died, the two thin followers were still alive. Gu Shenwei did not expect for the two to know about inside secrets, but he was hoping to dig out some valuable facts.
These two were very easy to find. After Gu Shenwei found that the whole city was dotted with Black Blood Flags, he immediately returned to the crime scene. The body was still lying in the same place, and the flags left the followers in shock. They looked around in fear and no longer dared to speak the words "Dragon King".
When everyone recovered from the shock, the two followers realized: If their backer was dead, then staying here was not only pointless, but also might cause troubles.
The two looked at each other, blended into the crowd and went to hide at home. They were blood-related brothers and lived together.
Those who had killed Boss Mo might come back to kill these two followers. Gu Shenwei watched for two days and two nights straight, and he hoped that the enemies in the dark would give themselves away.
The two followers lived in seclusion. They occasionally went out without their sabers, as if they had completely given up their status as machetemen.
No one had come to kill them until on the third day; several machetemen asked the two brothers some questions. However, they quickly left and did not seem to get an answer, nor did they embarrass the brothers.
Gu Shenwei felt that the moment he awaited was about to come, because he recognized that these machetemen were from the Kun Society. There was a fish-shaped pattern on their clothes. It was a logo invented by someone after he escaped from the Golden Roc Fort.
In the middle of the night, a murder occurred at the Blacksmith Village in the easternmost part of South City. A Black Blood Flag was erected, which attracted many killers and machetemen to swoop in. Soon afterward, an assassin in black barged into the brothers' home to cut the weeds and dig up its roots.
The two could not believe that being followers of a third-rated macheteman would bring fatal disaster upon them.
Gu Shenwei did not stop the act; instead, he switched his target to the assassin in black and followed him.
The assassin probably felt that the mission was very easy. Afterward, he casually put up a Black Blood Flag and immediately fled into the night.
The brothers were not important, so the Black Blood Flag in their home would not be discovered until the next day.
The assassin leaped onto the roofs and vaulted over the walls at an incredible speed. After a few detours, he suddenly jumped into an alley.
Gu Shenwei had encountered an ambush in this very alley.
This was definitely a trap that had been set up long ago. Just as he landed, four sabers stabbed toward him.
Gu Shenwei was vigilant. With his body still in the air, he pulled out his saber and even acted a little ahead of the attackers.
The two attackers immediately fell to the ground, but more masked men appeared from both sides of the alley. No one was shouting as they silently rushed toward their target.
The Dragon King's speed clearly exceeded what the attackers had expected. After the fourth person fell, the others were still a few steps away. Gu Shenwei took the opportunity to vault back onto the wall.
He was not trying to escape, but rather, he was trying to escape from being surrounded by the pursuing forces. In the past few years, he had encountered countless ambushes and he was more experienced in escaping than anyone else.
More than a dozen attackers followed closely.
Before he killed the attacker he had been following, the female archers appeared, not one or two, but in groups. They shot arrows toward the attackers and killed most of them at the first time.
Someone finally noticed the battle on the roof. He hid in the corners and banged the gong to warn everyone.
A female archer once again invited. "Dragon King, please follow us."
Gu Shenwei did not intend to run away halfway this time. He wanted to know who the masters of the female archers were, and why they clearly knew about the trap for the assassination of the Dragon King.